What kind of Stitch is this?

[Silverd]

Hello Helpful Folks

Can anyone help me identify this type of stitching?  What kind or type of sewing machine makes this stitch?    Image is from a vintage leather Doctor style bag or suit case that I'm remaking around the existing hardware.  It appears to me that the leather panels were stitched together using a unique machine...Possibly a post bed or???  Certainly some hand stitching seems to have been used but its not totally clear?     A lot of these cases were made and there was likely special machines used in the manufacturing process.   Anyone have information?   

Thank you in advance!

 

Silverd

 

[tsunkasapa]

I have heard it called "chain stitch". It is sometimes used to stitch dog/pet food sacks. Pull the right end and it just "unzips".

Edited July 20, 2021 by tsunkasapa

[zuludog]

Yes, I also know this as the chain stitch, but have only seen it used to sew sacks of bulk dry materials like grain, flour, sugar, or cement. Search Google for sack sewing or sack closing machines

I suspect it has been mostly replaced in making leather goods by the sewing machine lockstitch. Unless it's important I would saddle stitch by hand

If you contact some of the sack closing machine manufacturers they might be able to help you

 

[jimi]

Yes correct tsunkasapa, that is a chain stitch and looks like a double needle machine. This works with one thread only and a looper instead of a bobbin, in this case 2 threads and 2 loopers. The machine that comes to mind for this heavy duty work would be a Puritain stitcher. You have probably heard of them???

 

Edited July 20, 2021 by jimi

[Silverd]

I was hoping to minimize hand stitching to the finishing runs at each corner and the corner pads.  But hand stitching would make the best looking results.

 

Silverd

[tsunkasapa]

5 hours ago, jimi said:

You have probably heard of them???

No, but I have no interest in sewing machines. I hand stitch everything.

[fredk]

Could you get a similar thread pattern using the Auto-Awl? Maybe not just as its supposed to be used but by altering how you do the looping of the thread

[Handstitched]

15 hours ago, tsunkasapa said:

Pull the right end and it just "unzips".

Yep, the last time I saw a stitch like that was on a bag of chook food, except, I can never get the damn thing to do just that...'unzip' , I always cut the wrong end  

HS 

[Silverd]

My goal is to remake the case with fresh leather and secure stitching regardless of stitch style.  I'm not focused on stitching persay.  My original inquiry was to understand if a special sewing machine was used to make this case...the stitching is the only remaining tell.

Thank you

Silverd

[Rahere]

15 hours ago, fredk said:

Could you get a similar thread pattern using the Auto-Awl? Maybe not just as its supposed to be used but by altering how you do the looping of the thread

Use it with a crochet hook to chain the loops together. The last stitch is pulled right through the previous loop to lock the rest.

[bj139]

Quote

This will do a two thread chain stitch.  

 

 

[Klara]

On 7/21/2021 at 1:20 PM, Handstitched said:

Yep, the last time I saw a stitch like that was on a bag of chook food, except, I can never get the damn thing to do just that...'unzip' , I always cut the wrong end  

HS 

With the side where the stitching forms a simple dotted line facing you, cut the thread on the right. Or you can unravel the "knot" by hand, if it's not pulled tight yet and you can see well. 

[fredk]

On 7/21/2021 at 12:20 PM, Handstitched said:

. . . I can never get the damn thing to do just that...'unzip' ,

Me too. I just slashed the top of the bag open with a knife and tipped it into the meal bin

[Klara]

The right-hand end of the dotted line! 

I asked a bag manufacturer at an agricultural trade show...

 

[Silverd]

On 7/20/2021 at 12:20 PM, Silverd said:

Hello Helpful Folks

Can anyone help me identify this type of stitching?  What kind or type of sewing machine makes this stitch?    Image is from a vintage leather Doctor style bag or suit case that I'm remaking around the existing hardware.  It appears to me that the leather panels were stitched together using a unique machine...Possibly a post bed or???  Certainly some hand stitching seems to have been used but its not totally clear?     A lot of these cases were made and there was likely special machines used in the manufacturing process.   Anyone have information?   

Thank you in advance!

 

Silverd

 

The leather on the original case didnt respond to reconditioning and was not fit for restiching as was... so plan B became the coarse of action.   Project included pulling patterns from the original panels after carefully removing them from the frame and making new from scratch. The frame was stripped and primered.  The latch hardware pieces that are steel were stripped  polished and heavy brass plated or polished if solid brass.  I followed as closely as I could the original leather panel construction methodologies, recovered the handles and reconnected everything together with 277 Nylon and a techsew 5100SE (Jukie 441 clone) and lots of hand stitching.  

 

 

 

Silverd

[billybopp]

Looks great!!

 

[Dwight]

Yes . . . beautiful job.

A job well done . . .  hope you get many years of good use from it.

May God bless,

Dwight

[chuck123wapati]

wow That is some nice work and a lot of work it is one to be proud of!!! 

[Silverd]

Thank you.  Hopefully client will appreciate!

[jcuk]

Nice work there

[DrmCa]

The bag looks great!

Chainstitch is used on stretchy textiles. Could it be beneficial on stretchy leather? Perhaps it could be, but I doubt it.

[Bert03241]

Absolutely Beautiful work. I'm so jealous of people that can do work like this

[Silverd]

20 hours ago, Bert03241 said:

Absolutely Beautiful work. I'm so jealous of people that can do work like this

Oh my.  Thank you for that.  I struggle along on these projects progressing through each step very slowly learning as i go.  I also use new projects to "Tool-up".  This project required hot foil stamping which I knew very little about.  I did some research which lead me to buy a 2nd hand Kwikprint press and the Type Set initials of my Client.  Now I have that capability for other work or for customers who want their initials stamped too.    

[TomE]

That is a sharp looking bag.  I am particularly impressed with the handles.  I tried making a similar handle for my wife's briefcase and it turned out a bit lumpy and asymmetrical.  I am buying time watching it break in, while procrastinating about making another.  Mine was based on a pattern in Stohlman's Art of Making Leather Cases.  He used a plywood form to shape after sewing but I don't have or want a band saw.

[Silverd]

Thank you.  The handles were a challenge but I used the original leather that was intact enough on one of them to develop the pattern.  Note that the leather is only a cover.  The load bearing is taken by a steel wire that formed a hooks which the Dee's connected to.  Pics Ive attached show this.  Then I skived the flaps of the cover to reduce the witness bumps you describe.  Frankly it would have been better to make the covers from a 2-3oz instead of 3-4oz leather.  Handles would have had a less bulky appearance.  That, and it would have given me a 2nd shot at the wrapping process thus reducing the touches. 

Silverd